Chapter 642 - 197: Reunion with an Old Friend
And this cavalry actually consists of just over twenty riders.
The first charge was more of a skirmish encounter, and after two charges, the human cavalry should have assessed the enemy’s numbers and concluded—they can’t handle it!
Or rather, the cost of forcing the issue would be too great.
After causing seventy percent casualties to the Fierce Beast Race with the two charges, this outcome was fortunate enough.
Moreover, the Human Race’s Thunder Beast Cavalry also suffered significant damage, approximately fifty percent, with the remaining dozen or so riders all injured.
If they were to forcibly continue with a third charge now, it would only be if the commander’s brain had malfunctioned.
Anyone with a bit of sense would make a more cost-effective decision.
For example... retreating far away to regroup and then seeking an opportunity to attack again.
After all, this squad of the Fierce Beast Race, which lost many sledges, has already lost mobility in the Snowfield—retreating on two legs in the Snowfield is like exposing oneself within the archery range of the cavalry!
By then, when the cavalry catches up, the two-legged Fierce Beast Race would be easy targets on the flat Snowfield.
The cavalry wouldn’t even need to attack forcefully; just by maintaining a pursuit stance, they could exhaust the Fierce Beast Race to death. As long as they pursue them in circles from a distance until the enemy is exhausted, that’s the time for the harvest.
Even Chen Yan could see this.
·
The response of the Fierce Beast Race was swift, and after waiting for a while and determining that Human Race’s cavalry had retreated and would not initiate a charge soon,
the sounds of low growls and shouts came through. Chen Yan, peering from behind a snowbank, saw the Fierce Beast Race begin to quickly move around the battlefield, finishing off the injured!
They also organized the remaining sledges.
A tall Fierce Beast with a leathery hat stood in the center—judging by its height, it was almost similar in build to the village leader Chen Yan had killed earlier, so it must be the leader of this group.
Soon, six intact sledges were sorted and pushed out.
This was already the limit, as the recovered Hunting Beasts were only enough to pull six sledges.
Then, under Chen Yan’s watchful eye, the Fierce Beast Race made a decision that even surprised him.
This decision was cold and ruthless!
Under the tall leader’s orders, the remaining Fierce Beast Race quickly began selecting the strongest individuals.
Originally, only about thirty percent of their numbers were left, roughly over thirty individuals, and from those, a dozen of the strongest were chosen and boarded the sledges.
The six sledges, carrying the selected dozen or so Fierce Beasts, including the leader, swiftly went southwards—opposite the direction the Thunder Beast Cavalry had charged.
The remaining dozen or so Fierce Beasts were obviously abandoned!
Chen Yan took just two seconds to understand their strategy.
The strongest would use the remaining mobile sledges to quickly retreat!
The dozen or so left who could only walk on two legs—they were left as cannon fodder, bait, a meat shield!
And as for the Human Race cavalry, when choosing a pursuit target, any commander with a bit of brains would choose the latter!
The latter would be easier to handle with less damage.
The former held too many uncertainties during the pursuit.
—The dozen or so Fierce Beasts left on the scene were abandoned.
It seemed this method of warfare had become second nature to the Fierce Beast Race, even the dozen or so that were left abandoned did not show discontent or resistance. They merely watched silently as their stronger companions left on the sledges...
Their eyes were indifferent and calm.
After the sledges departed, the remaining Fierce Beasts dispersed and scattered around the battlefield in groups, picking up the corpses of dead Hunting Beasts or overturned sledge supplies.
They began preparing food to eat—perhaps this would be their last meal of their lives.
·
Chen Yan lay in the snowbank for half an hour, watching these left-behind cannon fodder eat their meal.
He saw a freshly carved hind leg from a Hunting Beast, still bloody, being held and devoured without reservation by a Fierce Beast, who then handed it to a nearby companion...
A few minutes later, the hind leg of the Hunting Beast was gnawed down to the bone.
The satiated Fierce Beasts sat down on the spot, crossing their legs and looking upward.
They began to chant.
No one knew what they were singing.
The tune was short and peculiar, yet carried a strange emotion.
It seemed like anger; it seemed like sorrow.
Although Chen Yan once drank the Divine Tree Juice and actually understood the language of the Fierce Beast Race,
the song they sang had strange pronunciations, which Chen Yan could not comprehend.
And as he continued to watch, he saw a noticeably smaller figure within the Fierce Beasts slowly approach a warrior, bowing down to pick up a bone that was left with only a bit of meat,
the figure bowed, picked up the item, shuffling backward with a submissive posture. After a few steps back, when the warrior had no reaction, this frail figure seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, stood upright, clutched the bone, and quickly ran to the side to sit and gnaw at the bone...
Chen Yan’s eyes slightly shifted.
·
There was still some time before dawn, and these Fierce Beasts showed no intention of leaving, appearing ready to dutifully fulfill their role as cannon fodder bait.
Chen Yan finally emerged from beneath the snowbank, vigorously shaking off the accumulated snow from his body and head.